System for managing data objects

• US 20070260994A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adeia Semiconductor Advanced Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Tessera Advanced Technologies, Inc.) (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eduardo Sciammarella, Haruo Oba, Hideyuki Agata, Junichi Rekimoto, Makoto Imamura, Masakazu Hayashi, Masato Kuninori
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Rekimoto, Junichi, Agata, Hideyuki, Hayashi, Masakazu, Imamura, Makoto, Kuninori, Masato, Sciammarella, Eduardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A device for managing image and audio files displays thumbnails, which are representative of the files, on a screen in different arrangements, depending on the selected layout and order. When the user enters input to indicates that he or she wishes to browse through the thumbnails, the thumbnails move across the screen in sequence, following a path through a focus outline in the center of the screen. The path followed by the thumbnails depends on the selected layout.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A file manager for managing data objects representing respective files, comprising:

image mans for causing discrete data object images to be displayed in a predetermined arrangement in which a portion of a data object image is overlapped by another data object image;

movement means for causing movement of the displayed data object images such that one of said displayed data object images is moved to a focus position; and

selecting means for selecting a data object image at said focus position, thereby selecting the file represented by said data object image at said focus position.

42. The file manager of claim 41, wherein adjacent data object images in said predetermined arrangement are displayed in overlapping relation.

43. The file manager of claim 42, wherein said data object image displayed at said focus position is not overlapped by another data object image.

44. The file manager of claim 41, wherein said data object images are thumbnail image representations of respective files.

45. The file manager of claim 41, wherein said movement means is operable to enable a user to browse said data object images.

46. The file manager of claim 41, wherein said files are digital audio files.

47. The file manager of claim 41, wherein said files are movie files.

48. The file manager of claim 41, wherein said files are digital image files.

49. A method for managing data objects representing respective files, comprising the steps of:

causing discrete data object images to be displayed in a predetermined arrangement in which a portion of a data object image is overlapped by another data object image;

causing movement of the displayed data object images such that one of said displayed data object images is moved to a focus position; and

selecting a data object image at said focus position to select the file represented by the data object image at said focus position.

50. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

first production means configured to produce a first image representing second data;

second production means configured to produce a second image representing second data;

first designation means configured to designate display positions of the first and second images along an imaginary line; and

first display control means configured to control the display positions of the first and second images at the positions designated by said first designation means such that a portion of the first image overlaps at least a portion of the second image along said line.

51. The information processing apparatus according to claim 50, further comprising:

second display control means configure to control the display positions of the first said and second images such that, when one of the first and second images is selected in response to an operation of a user, the other image does not overlap the selected image.

52. The information processing apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said second display control means controls the display position of the selected image to be displayed in a predetermined focus region on said line.

53. The information processing apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the focus region is proximate a central portion of said line.

54. The information processing apparatus according to claim 52, further comprising:

reproduction control means configured to respond to a reproduction instruction inputted by user operation to control the reproduction of data represented by the selected image.

55. The information processing apparatus according to claim 52, further comprising:

information display control means configured to control the display of information relating to the selected image, such that said information is displayed in an associated relationship with said selected image.

56. The information processing apparatus according to claim 55, wherein said information relating to said selected image includes a file name, a date, a size, or a file format of the data represented by said selected image.

57. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

producing a first image representing first data;

producing a second image representing second data;

designating display positions of the first and second images along an imaginary line; and

controlling the display positions of the first and second images at the designated display positions such that a portion of the first image overlaps at least a portion of the second image along said line.

58. A computer readable medium for storing a computer program executable to perform the method comprising the steps of:

producing a first image representing first data;

producing a second image representing second data;

designating display positions of the first and second images along an imaginary line; and

controlling the display positions of the first and second images at the designated display positions such that a portion of the first image overlaps at least a portion of the second image along said line.